When an individual or a business receives a physical financial document, such as a check, the individual or business may create a digital version of the financial document. In the case of a check, the digital version of the check may comprise a digital image of the check that conforms to certain standards along with appropriate metadata. Under the laws of the United States of America and other countries, the digital version of the financial document may be stored, redeemed, and otherwise used in the same manner as the physical financial document.
In many circumstances, financial institutions allow individuals and businesses to submit digital versions of checks received from other parties. Moreover, in many of these circumstances, financial institutions discourage individuals and businesses from submitting physical versions of checks received from other parties. Financial institutions may discourage individuals and businesses from submitting physical versions of checks because it may be more costly and time consuming to process physical versions of checks than equivalent digital versions of the checks.
In circumstances where financial institutions discourage individuals and businesses from submitting physical copies of checks, individuals and businesses may be responsible for generating digital versions of the checks prior to submission of the checks to the financial institutions. Moreover, in these circumstances, the individuals and businesses may be responsible for ensuring that digital images of the checks included in the digital versions of the checks have sufficient quality. In other words, the individuals and businesses may be responsible for ensuring that digital images of the checks are reasonably free of defects. Individuals and businesses may use automatic check scanning devices in order to ensure that digital images of the checks are reasonably free of defects.